Volunteer Culture

From Saturday Night Live to the Tea Party with Victoria Jackson

If you are on staff at a church, you’re in a Christian bubble.

You just are. I can say this with confidence. I’ve worked in Christian radio, at an international ministry and at two mega-churches. Every day at work, I was surrounded by other believers. We can quickly get to a place where we don’t interact with lost people. That’s why I love talking with believers that work in media in some form that are not in ministry. It’s from these people that you can get a since of what its truly like to share your faith with those who desperately need it.

Hollywood is an arena where you can quickly be shunned for your faith in Jesus Christ. Actors like Kevin Sorbo and others have talked about how Christians can be blacklisted for their religious and political views.

In recent years, there have been more and more believers in Hollywood standing firm and being vocal about their faith in Christ. Stephen Baldwin, Mark Burnett, Roma Downey, Kirk Cameron, Candace Cameron Bure, Sherri Shepherd and others have been unashamed in their pursuit of living their life for Jesus while also pursuing a career in Hollywood.

One such Christian and conservative is Saturday Night Live alum, Victoria Jackson.

Victoria starred as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1986-1992. 

Born August 2,1959 in Miami, Florida, Victoria was raised in a Bible-believing, piano-playing, gymnastic home with no TV.

She attended Florida Bible College; received a gymnastic scholarship to Furman University, and then attended Auburn University for one year. She ended up in Hollywood, CA via summer stock in Birmingham, where she met Johnny Crawford (The Rifleman) who promptly put her in his night club act and sent her a one-way ticket to the show-biz capital.

Supporting herself as a cigarette girl, a typist at the American Cancer Society, and a waitress at a retirement hotel, she performed stand up comedy for 2 years until “The Tonight Show” starring Johnny Carson put her act (which consisted of her doing a handstand while reciting poetry) on national TV. Following her 20 appearances with Johnny, she starred in many movies and TV shows, most notably six seasons on “Saturday Night Live.” Since her stint on SNL, Victoria has starred in film and television projects, and in recent years has become very involved in the Tea Party movement. She has since become a grandmother and still works as an actress and stand-up comedian.

I’ve gotten to know Victoria over the last few years from staffing the National Religious Broadcaster’s convention. She is very nice, very funny, and very open about loving Jesus. I recently spoke with Victoria about her days on Saturday Night Live, her television and movie career, her foray into the Tea Party movement, and what life looks like for her now.

Listen to my full interview with Victoria below.

Listen to the Full Interview:

Images of Victoria Jackson:

Victoria and I at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention, 2014.

Victoria Jackson at a political rally, 2010.

Videos and Interview Clips with Victoria Jackson:

CARL BARNHILL
Creative Director / Owner
[twelve:thirty]media | Columbia, SC
twelvethirtymedia.com

Carl Barnhill has served on staff at some of the largest churches and organizations in the country. He served as Media Director at Precept Ministries International, directing the television and radio program Precepts for Life with Kay Arthur, broadcasted to over 98 million homes around the world. He served as Video Production Director at Pinelake Church in Brandon, MS, where he produced media content for four campuses, as well as led volunteer teams.

He most recently served as Video Coordinator for Newspring Church in South Carolina. Newspring has 10 campuses across the state with a weekly attendance of over 35,000. At one campus alone, the number of consistent volunteers serving in media production tripled, under his leadership.

He currently serves as Creative Director and Owner of [twelve:thirty]media, a company that serves churches and ministries all over the world through motion graphics content and church media coaching.